In another setback to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra assembly polls, party leader Pramod Ghosalkar will join Shiv Sena. Ghosalkar is the NCP Raigad district President and is said to be a close aide to party’s senior leader Sunil Tatkare.

Earlier, there were reports which suggested that Avadhut Tatkare, nephew of Sunil Tatkare, may join Shiv Sena. However, Takare said that he can’t confirm anything while maintaining that he wants to remain in active politics. Tatkare is an NCP MLA from Shrivardhan assembly constituency in Raigad district.

Sunil Tatakre, however, had earlier rejected the claims of him joining Shiv Sena. NCP leader Sunil Tatkare is an MP representing Raigad Lok Sabha constituency. If Ghosalkar is inducted in Shiv Sena, the party will try to strengthen its roots in Raigad district while might lose its hold in the district.

The ongoing loyalty shift of senior leaders in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena is causing trouble for the Congress and NCP ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra.